Motorway blow-out - big deal!!

[Colinn]

I suppose most of us have two big fears when towing - uncontrollable snakes and a blow-out. How will we cope? What will happen to the outfit? Will we survive??

I've never experienced either - but last week I was overtaking (solo) a van on the M3 as it's offside tyre blew out.

No big drama - swaying, naturally, sparks from the wheel rim, but the outfit pulled over to the hard shoulder in a fairly controlled fashion...

So was he just lucky?? Could the rest of us expect to be so lucky if it was us??

 

[Chris_374413356]

A few years ago I had a flat tyre on a caravan wheel whilst towing on the Autoroute in France, I had no Idea and everything seemed normal, it was only the passing cars that were waving to me and telling me something was wrong made me stop.

 

[forestgump]

hi colin just today ,decided ti try winter wheels.problem when they serviced it must have used air gun had to stand on wheel brace to undo ,but main prob is wheel brace that comes with van is a poor fit.nuts started to round off had to go home to get a cranked ring spanner got nuts off but i was lucky it was not a blow out on a road i would have been in a no win situation take note try your wheel nuts make sure your wheel brace is a good fit put a proper brace or spanner to late if you are on the road i never thought off this problembut look at this as a blessing

 

[Lutz]

No, I would say it's not exceptional. Same thing happened to me last year. Apart from the fact that the blown tyre caught fire by the time I was able to come to a stop, the whole incident was fairly unspectacular. The outfit remained fully under control.

 

[Heethers]

Dean invest in a torque wrench, had my van serviced 2 weeks a go, after reading this forum saw that after you have removed the wheels re-check torque settings after 50 miles, did so and yes they took a little more torque, check the wheels before l left my last pitch, torque settings o/k after 140 miles.

l always use the correct socket not the supplied wheel brace and agree they are sub standard.

NigelH

 

[Sedo]

Colinn

Some years ago rear offside car tyre deflated on a road near to Chichester, further on, on M5 near M6 junction nearside caravn tyre went, then near Cannock (Hilton services) on M6 offside caravan tyre went.

Was it a drama no, just a pain the bum having to empty car boot and un-hitch on an A road, changing tyre on hard shoulder (yes I know you can't do it now but you could then) M5 very,very scary and finally watching AA man sort it out a lot more relaxing.

Yes in a way I was lucky they didn't blow off, like I've had on a mountain bike, but it's one of our most memorable journeys.

Being superstitious I hope I aren't tempting fate, for future trips to say we're still here and caravanning again..

Tomo

 

[xtrailman]

Tom

I wasn't aware that you could no longer replace a tyre on the hard shoulder?

How long has this been the case, and how are you supposed to have it repaired, tow truck?

 

[Guest]

This thread has a very misleading title.

Colinn, you were lucky as some of us are at times when a tyre blows.

Anyone who thinks that a tyre blowout or deflation will be a simple no worries incident may sadly get one hell of a nasty shock.

We once followed a caravan for many miles along the autoroute towards Poitiers, it was travelling at a very reasonable speed and looked very steady and level. We turned off in to the services for fuel and a break and rejoined into heavy traffic. Only about a mile along from the services was the remains of the caravan and contents spread across the road alongside heavily damaged armco central reservation. The car was on its roof in a field a long way down a high embankment.

Witnesses saw a caravan tyre blow out, the car went out of control across the lanes hitting the armco, car and van span and parted company and the car rolled and went off the road.

We also had a fairly low speed tyre blow out years ago that threw the outfit sideways in front of oncoming traffic and back across our own lane on to the verge, back on to the road and oncoming lane before I got it back onto our lane and onto the verge.

I believe the type and condition of the road surface we were on was a major contributing factor.

No one knows where a tyre might go, but don't be fooled by the heading here.

Another person we knew also had a 20 day old tyre go on their outfit at 50mph on a motorway. Complete outfit was a right off and there was a huge bill for closing the motowway and the clear up and cost of the emargency services.

Road debris was blamed for the tyre failure but the couple were put off towing for good.

We've also had a tyre deflation with no drama, but I would never assume that it will be a drama free experience.

 

[Lutz]

Whether the accident was a direct result of the blowout or whether it was due to incorrect action, panic or just plain inattentiveness on the part of the driver, we shall never know. I strongly suspect, however, assuming that the outfit was otherwise in good shape, it was more likely to have been driver error.

 

[Sedo]

Ray

Don't think it's actually illegal but strongly advised against.

Having had to change wheels on the hard shoulder, I would strongly advise against myself.

You're supposed to call or wait for emergency services.

It was one of the main reasons I joined the AA years ago.

With lorries whistling past seemingly very close by and using a scissor jack at the time, and then watching the AA patrolman do it and the lorries giving him a wide berth is quite an education.

If you do it though good luck, as for me I'm older and wiser now.

One thing if you do and your family's with you, get thme as far off the motorway as possible, got mine ensconced at Hilton services and that was with the AA as well.

As for the actual tyres going on the motorway, when both mine went all I actually knew was that the unit felt as if a giant hand was holding us back, thank goodness it wasn't terribly dramatic other than that.

Put it down to one of those experiences you learn from.

I think it's one of those things you overlook, in that when you're charging along the motorway, solo or towing, you are relying on the integrity of your tyres.

As the old saying goes one prick and the hole lot goes down.

With evrything in life things happen, just try and limit the odds in your favour.

Tomo

 

[Guest]

More BS Lutz.

Madness to suggest that the driver may have made a mistake.

Having a tyre deflate rapidly and the outfit keep rolling in a straight line is one thing. When tyres let go, sometimes the vehicle or trailer is thrown violently sideways as happened with us. There was no warning, one second we were in a line of traffic heading towards Mont Saint Michel next we were thrown sideways in to the other lane. It was lucky that the next on coming vehicle was a long way ahead, and it took both lanes and the verge to get the outfit under control in a short distance. If I'd had to avoid oncoming vehicles or if there had been a road side obstruction it could have been very different.

Talking to some ther caravanners about this just a few moments ago a Disco 3 driver with 35 years caravanning experience has a new car and caravan this year as the driver side rear tyre blew out on his Disco last year.

"We heard a loud noise, at the same time the car went sideways violently with the caravan, car went in to the centre reservation barrier and then on its side and I watched helplessly a passenger behind the wheel as the caravan turned over. All over in seconds. No ones telling me I did something wrong. I never had time to do anything"

He added that it was his fifth tyre problem when towing. 2 were no problem, 1 with a trailer tent caused a minor accident and the other resulted in a violent slalom ride across all lanes of an Autobahn in full view of a following police car, the officers said he'd done the correct thing and had prevented an acccident.

For most of us tyre problems when towing are rare or will never be experienced. But they are not something we can practice. Presented with the unexpected and with something that is subject to many many factors how do you know how you'll react or what will happen next.

I've had three memorable front tyre failures on two wheels that I escaped from safely in one I had a very experienced motorcyclist as pillion passenger. 37 years later we still meet and share a special handshake from that day. It took proa

bably a mile and a half to stop in 100c temperature on a downhill mountain road. My friend has always praised my skill for saving us from a head on collision or a 400metre + drop. There was no skill at all, it was PURE LUCK that saved us and maybe a tiny touch of instinct.

You can just never tell, but don't be suckered in to thinking that trailer or caravan tyre problems will always be an easy ride!

 

[Glenn_5132962]

I know someone whoose tyre blew on the motorway. It didnt cause a crash but the blown tyre flailing around ripped through the wheel arch & destroyed the kitchen of the van. When he opened the door the inside of the van was full of gas out of the fridge. Van was a right off.

 

[forestgump]

as any one tryed that phantom product in tyres seems good and only 30 pounds per wheel

 

[Lutz]

I'm not saying that surviving a blowout without further serious consequences is a doddle, but I am saying that a blowout doesn't necessarily result in certain disaster if you keep your wits about you. I have experienced a blowout on the caravan at 60mph and while driving solo at about 90mph and in both cases it was an unpleasant surprise and I was probably as white as a sheet after it happened, but no more than that. Chris's experience confirms mine.

 

[Gumbo]

More BS Lutz.

I know which one of you two I would follow for advice and it is not you euro. That's not personal, just a response to your personal response.

By the way are we talking Single or Twin Axle vans here ??

 

[ShadySadie]

I doubt that euro cares Gumbo. If you think that a blow out or puncture will be a non event consider this.

South Africa caravan insurer info - "Caravan tyres very rarely wear out but as they are laden with the weight of the caravan throughout the year it is not uncommon for caravan tyres to become distorted. If these tyres are under inflated and have been for an extended period then there is a substantial risk that the sidewalls of the tyres can suffer cracking.

Each year hundreds of caravans are written off and in the majority of cases blowouts resulting from damaged tyres are the prime cause of the accidents"

Australia Caravan Insurer -

 

[Guest]

She's right Gumbo

But I'd rather somebody kept it in mind that losing a tyre could be a catastrophe and so they always took great care with their tyre and prepared themselves as best they could for wrestling their outfit to a safe stop story! Rather than assume that a tyre blowout or puncture will always end as a peaches and cream story.

You can have good and bad experiences with twin or single axle tyre failures.

I just prefer to improve my chances!

Even if a puncture is fairly un-eventful I would't mind a euro for every caravan or trailer wheel that is scrap by the time the outfit is stopped )

 

[Lutz]

I wish one would read my replies like what they are trying to say. Euros responses suggest, to me at least, that a blowout inevitably results in an accident - enough to instill horror into anyone towing a caravan. I am saying that this is simply not the case. Both my experiences and Chris's show that although a blowout is admittedly a frightening experience, it can be quite uneventful and without further serious consequences. I suspect, therefore, that in many, though not all cases, accidents which did occur on account of a blowout were attributable to incorrect panic reaction on the part of the driver.

By the way, the blowout that I had was with a single axle and towing at just a fraction under 100% weight ratio.

 

[Guest]

Lutz.

Insurers and tyre industry will soon tell you that all blowouts are not disasters. As I have said before I had a caravan wheel come off due to my own mistake.

That was no big deal, I was lucky! And I've also had trouble free puncture.

Colinn asked " So was he just lucky?? Could the rest of us expect to be so lucky if it was us??"

Well yes he was lucky!

Facts and figures are out there that very many caravan/towing failures with tyres result in horror scenario's.

Getting people to keep tyres and wheels fit and healthy should be the objective. Tyre blew at 90kph and it was an easy trouble free ride is not the signal to send out to people who do not bother to much about their gear, trouble free is down to luck it is not a guarantee.

The story to all caravanners should be.

Look after your equipment and be aware of how to try and handle a outfit that is just as likely to start going out of control if a tyre goes.

 

[Lutz]

I agree and my reply was by no means to be interpreted as an open invitation to be complacent about tyre equipment, but I still have problems with accepting a statement suggesting that the horror scenarios described were entirely due to the blowout and totally unavoidable, regardless of driver action.

 

[KeithJ]

The points about winter storage are very valid, but a lot of damage to tyre sidewalls occurs from hitting or scraping kerbs. Any driver of long outfits knows how difficult it is to manoeuvre in tight situations - in service stations, on camp sites, etc. - without scraping tyres. But often when this occurs the driver doesn't bother to check for damage and is soon cruising at speed on a motorway. It surprises me to see people parking ordinary cars in the street without even batting an eyelid when hitting or scraping the kerb.

Keith

 

[Trevor_374472828]

Hello, although its not the cure, get yourselves TYRON bands fitted, they allow you enough time to get to the hard shoulder, and as a retired Motorway cop, you are allowed to change your wheels on the hard shoulder, just move as far to the left as is possible and you will be ok, dont forget your triangle. The UK motorway system is far safer than the A roads

 

[Lutz]

This forum has had long and repeated discussions about Tyron bands. The final gist was that no-one, not even Tyron themselves, have ever come up with validated results showing that one would be any worse off without them.

 

[xtrailman]

I have only ever witnessed one blow out. That was a mini travelling in front on the slow lane.

The car violently swerved across both lanes and hit the central barrier.

I would imagine the driver thought it was a "big deal"?

 

[Trevor_374472828]

Having attended many many incidents involving caravans on Kents very busy motorway system, when these incidents involved tyre deflations the vehicles that had Tyron bands fitted had less damage to the caravan than those that had not had them fitted. The band as you well know allows the tyre to remain on the wheel thereby not breaking up and causing immense damage to the caravan.